Clare in Minor Hurling Semi-Final

Lets, before we start issue a health
warning with this game. Clare were deserving winners but could one doubt the
real quality of a Cork team that surrendered meekly when asked to rise to the
challenge. All that Clare gave was rewarded with a home semi final against
Limerick on June 29th as Waterford will take on hotpots Tipperary in
the second last four game.

D-day for Clare minor hurling. Success
would bring a summer of hurling whilst defeat would see the three in a row
dream extinguished before it ever really got going and at home to boot. The
heartbreaking extra time defeat at the hands of Waterford the week previous gave
hope that the Claremen who had fought hard had another performance within them
to test the Cork visitors to Cusack park.

The big talking point was the availability
of talismanic Jamie Shanahan with the
suggestion that the SIxmilebridge would come on if required. A number of
gingerly tussles before the throw in suggested a strong hours hurling was in store. The first action of the
day required a smart save from Eibhear Quilligan from Anthony Spillane that
conceded a converted 65 from Michael Cahalane. Two minutes and Cork were two
ahead after a free from Pa O Callaghan. The early impetus was with the rebel
starlets as Clare were unable to make
any impact from play or frees. Cork who were shocked by Limerick in the
quarter final rebounded to hammer Kerry
in the play off game to set up this do or die clash at Clare
headquarters. The third score also from a placed ball and again from O
Callaghan left Cork ahead by three with ten minutes played.

A scorching run through the heart of the
Clare defence by O Callaghan found the unmarked corner forward James O Brien
who pointed from 30 yards as Corks hard running was proving difficult for Clare
until the end of the first quarter. Clare finally got off the mark with scores
from Shane Taylor and Conor Deasy to halve the Cork lead in the space of a
minute.

Clare began to settle and for the
intervening five minutes were the better side but unable to score hitting a
number of wides despite good build up play as Alex Morey, Aidan McGuane and
Shane Taylor were to the fore. Finally in the 20th minute Clare were
on the scoreboard as Alex Morey pounced on a loose ball as Jamie Shanahan was
warming up on the sideline. Cork responded with a Pa O Callaghan point after 22
minutes. A spectacular sideline cut by Alex
Morey drew a large cheer as once more Clare were only a point in
arrears. The game was deadlocked minutes later as Bobby Duggan who scored (1-8)
the week previous opened his account with a free out near the sideline. Dillon Cahill won a free for Cork that was
converted once more by O Callaghan. Befor the half time whistle both sides
added to their tallies and there was even more action on the sideline that left
Clare mentor Leo Doyle requiring medical attention following an altercation
that saw Doyle more sinned against than sinned. At the break Clare were on
level terms but steadily growing in confidence as now the move that would
hopefully bring success was to be unveiled.

Three year county minor Jamie Shanahan was
sprung from the bench and this brought the clare crowd to their feet as they
sensed that this team was not for giving
in and Cork who had contacted Galway for a challenge for June 15th were perhaps now after the
opening ten minutes human.

Star
of the show for Clare was corner-forward Bobby Duggan, who amassed 0-10. The
Clarecastle player remarkably struck the first eight points of the second half
and his marksmanship from placed balls was flawless. Indeed four of these
scores came from frees won by Shanahan as the Clare team were now firing
forward with gusto now really needing to hunt for goals as the frees were
coming minute by minute.

Such was the control that Clare had of the
game that after the 14th minute Clare outscored the visitors 16pts
to 3pts until the 51st minute and by then nothing less that a goal
fest was going to save Cork. They managed a solitary score from play in the
second half as Michael Cahalane set up Pa O Callaghan who hit the game’s only
goal as the game entered the final five minutes. The last score of the game
fell to Niall Deasy who with two points had a happier hours hurling than the
week before when he was introduced and subsequently replaced.

Great scenes of joy welcomed the final
whistle as Eamonn Fennessy’s men had fought from early season apathy to now
facing a munster semi final battle hardened. They may not be as flamboyant as
the 2010 and 2011 vintages but are genuine and should improve once more.

Best for Clare were COnor Cleary, Shane O
Brien, Brian Carey, Alex Morey, Shane Taylor, Jamie Shanahan, Bobby Duggan,
Niall Deasy, Eoin Quirke and Aidan McGuane. Corks’ best in a game that their
supporters will want to consign to the back pages of history included Pa O
Callaghan, Michael Cahalane, Alan Dennehy and Killian O Connor